STARR Trek Mini Sprint Triathlon RR from Saturday
I have been putting this race report off mainly because I was very disappointed in my results. As many of you saw, I set some pretty lofty goals for this tri, but goals that I felt were very attainable. Thisngs just didn't work out. I was not mentally ready for this race. i couldn't get into it. i dont want to make excuses so let me jus get into the report.
I woke up at 4 so I could take my time getting ready. i am a morning person and I enjoy the early mornings. i would be going to this race alone since my daughters are already in their respective school sports and my wife had to work. I ate an english muffin with peanut butter and finished packing my gear. I then headed off to TAMU-CC (my alma mater) only 35 minutes away for this mini sprint. I occasionally have bouts of gout and the night before i could feel it coming on, but luckily I didn't have any on race morning. I got to the race site, got marked and set up transition. The race was scheduled to start at 7 with the young kids then age groupers would start about 45 minutes later after the young uns were off the bike course. There were lots of problems and I dont think age groupers started off till about 9 or later. I was lined up with people who had an estimated swim time of 4 minutes. They let me back up to those who were 5:30. They started us off on a mat for chip timing so this should not have affected my time (but I wonder now if it did). When it was my time to start my swim, I forgot to start my stopwatch. I really dreaded this after the fact. I was passed early in the swim by one swimmer, but did really well, or so i thought. No one else passed me. My officialo swim time was 7:06.3. This was more than 1 1/2 minutes slower than goal. I hustled over to transition which was probably almost 200 meters and my T1 time was 1:21.4. My goal was 1:15 so I wasnt too disappointed in this time. I started off on the bike and felt pretty good. The ride was along the coast on Ocean Drive. It started out going south and into the wind. Then we made a u-turn and went a couple of miles till we turned around again for the 2nd loop. I almost missed this turn around and had to slam the brakes. I finished the bike in 23:19 at avg of 16 mph. Goal was 19 minutes so I was extremmeely diappointed in this. I really have to work on my bike. I have got to quit using the wind as an excuse and get better. T2 went really well. I soent :38 in T2. Goal was less than :40, so I was happy with that. The run just didnt start off too good. I hate that the run was just slightly more than a mile, because on all my bricks and the 2 previous triathlons i did, it took about a mile before I was comfortable running. Same thing here. I had about 200 meters to finish when I felt great. Go figure. I finished the short 2K run in a bad 13:13 for a 10:38 pace. I shouldnt be too disappointed as my avg pace goal on my long runs is 10:40. My goal for this race was to finish the run under 12 minutes. Maybe next time.
I know I set pretty high goals, but this was my last tri of 2009. I was thrilled about the race and it was neat to see all the very young kids participating. Their tri was shorter, but a multi-sport endurance race none the less. We all have to do whatever we can to help curb the epedemic of obesity starting with these children.
I dont want to sound like a baby. yes I was disappointed in my finish times, but I was thrilled to be racing and daring greatly. Last year this time, it was only a dream to be able to compete in an athletic event. Now i am living it!!!
I woke up at 4 so I could take my time getting ready. i am a morning person and I enjoy the early mornings. i would be going to this race alone since my daughters are already in their respective school sports and my wife had to work. I ate an english muffin with peanut butter and finished packing my gear. I then headed off to TAMU-CC (my alma mater) only 35 minutes away for this mini sprint. I occasionally have bouts of gout and the night before i could feel it coming on, but luckily I didn't have any on race morning. I got to the race site, got marked and set up transition. The race was scheduled to start at 7 with the young kids then age groupers would start about 45 minutes later after the young uns were off the bike course. There were lots of problems and I dont think age groupers started off till about 9 or later. I was lined up with people who had an estimated swim time of 4 minutes. They let me back up to those who were 5:30. They started us off on a mat for chip timing so this should not have affected my time (but I wonder now if it did). When it was my time to start my swim, I forgot to start my stopwatch. I really dreaded this after the fact. I was passed early in the swim by one swimmer, but did really well, or so i thought. No one else passed me. My officialo swim time was 7:06.3. This was more than 1 1/2 minutes slower than goal. I hustled over to transition which was probably almost 200 meters and my T1 time was 1:21.4. My goal was 1:15 so I wasnt too disappointed in this time. I started off on the bike and felt pretty good. The ride was along the coast on Ocean Drive. It started out going south and into the wind. Then we made a u-turn and went a couple of miles till we turned around again for the 2nd loop. I almost missed this turn around and had to slam the brakes. I finished the bike in 23:19 at avg of 16 mph. Goal was 19 minutes so I was extremmeely diappointed in this. I really have to work on my bike. I have got to quit using the wind as an excuse and get better. T2 went really well. I soent :38 in T2. Goal was less than :40, so I was happy with that. The run just didnt start off too good. I hate that the run was just slightly more than a mile, because on all my bricks and the 2 previous triathlons i did, it took about a mile before I was comfortable running. Same thing here. I had about 200 meters to finish when I felt great. Go figure. I finished the short 2K run in a bad 13:13 for a 10:38 pace. I shouldnt be too disappointed as my avg pace goal on my long runs is 10:40. My goal for this race was to finish the run under 12 minutes. Maybe next time.
I know I set pretty high goals, but this was my last tri of 2009. I was thrilled about the race and it was neat to see all the very young kids participating. Their tri was shorter, but a multi-sport endurance race none the less. We all have to do whatever we can to help curb the epedemic of obesity starting with these children.
I dont want to sound like a baby. yes I was disappointed in my finish times, but I was thrilled to be racing and daring greatly. Last year this time, it was only a dream to be able to compete in an athletic event. Now i am living it!!!
Tri Daring Greatly! www.tridaringgreatly.com
I will no longer be a spectator, a dreamer, a wonderer. I AM a doer; not only a goal setter, but a goal achiever. I will lead by example rather than word. I will "DARE GREATLY!"
I will no longer be a spectator, a dreamer, a wonderer. I AM a doer; not only a goal setter, but a goal achiever. I will lead by example rather than word. I will "DARE GREATLY!"
Good Job bro! I read multiple times the words "Disapointed", "Very Diasapointed", and "Bad"... I think you are too hard on yourself. Don't become a slave to your watch and let your time dictate your level of happiness or fulfillment. There has never been a person who has crossed the finish line without thinking to themselves that they did everything perfectly, but be happy with yourself bro. You have come so far, and are on a path to greatness... Greatness doesn't always have to mean a podium finish, greatness can simply be defined as getting up each morning and trying to do something better today than you did yesterday. If that means effort, if that means sacrifice, if that means pain, if that means improved speed, so be it, but regardless of the definition, the result in all of this must eventually lead to happiness.
The race I try to win every day, is the race that leads away from Obesity forever... That may be the only race I WIN in this life, but it is the most worthwhile race I have registered for! BE happy with yourself, your results, your effort! Your heart, character, and integrity make you Darrell, not your finish time. Congrats again on a great race, have fun, and enjoy the off season and focus on growing your base in all disciplines...
Your Friend In Health & Sport,
Dan Benintendi - OH Support Group Leader
www.trimywill.com
www.swimfromobesity.com
www.trimywill.blogspot.com
Support Group: www.obesityhelp.com/group/Post_Op_PRs/
Dan Benintendi - OH Support Group Leader
www.trimywill.com
www.swimfromobesity.com
www.trimywill.blogspot.com
Support Group: www.obesityhelp.com/group/Post_Op_PRs/
this is a great post Dan... much appreciated. it is easy to forget why we are doing what we are doing and lose real perspective of the journey and progress. i know that i fall into this rut more often than i want to admit.
darrell, way to push through the race and finish with your head up! my first sprint is a week from saturday, i'm gettting pumped for it already.
darrell, way to push through the race and finish with your head up! my first sprint is a week from saturday, i'm gettting pumped for it already.
Where are we going?? And why am I in this handbasket??
right now. somewhere. somebody is working harder than you.
right now. somewhere. somebody is working harder than you.
Good job man! Even though you weren't feeling it you gritted through and completed the task. That is something to be proud of.
I am just now finding that the bricks are starting to pay off. The more of them that I do the less I feel that funky leg feeling.
I have a little run after almost every bike ride. Usually no more than 20 minutes worth of running.
Keep up the great work.
Scott
I am just now finding that the bricks are starting to pay off. The more of them that I do the less I feel that funky leg feeling.
I have a little run after almost every bike ride. Usually no more than 20 minutes worth of running.
Keep up the great work.
Scott
The first time you do something - It's going to be a personal record!
Oh and as for the wind, it's only an excuse if you rely on it. Simply stating what happened doesn't define you. You will get better on the bike, the more you ride. But that wind will always be there, maybe next time it will be at your back and you will take 4 minutes off your time instead of the other way around. If you had given up because of the wind, that would be a defining moment, but you didn't do that, you kept pedaling and you finished.
Check this out to see how much effect wind has on you.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/aerodynamics1.html
On a flat course, a 5 mph head wind doubles the amount of energy I must expend to maintain a constant speed.
Keep up the great work.
Scott
Check this out to see how much effect wind has on you.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/aerodynamics1.html
On a flat course, a 5 mph head wind doubles the amount of energy I must expend to maintain a constant speed.
Keep up the great work.
Scott
The first time you do something - It's going to be a personal record!
Hey Darrell,
I hope you know that sharing all your race experiences rather than just the ones you're happy with gives a lot of people motivation as well. I don't think I've ever done as well as I'd like at any of my races, but have enjoyed most of them. I really did hate my first tri, but have been happy with all of the rest even if I didn't perform as well as I thought I was capable of doing.
I totally agree with Dan. Your race results don't define you, the fact that you train and complete DOES.
Great job Darrell!
Linn
I hope you know that sharing all your race experiences rather than just the ones you're happy with gives a lot of people motivation as well. I don't think I've ever done as well as I'd like at any of my races, but have enjoyed most of them. I really did hate my first tri, but have been happy with all of the rest even if I didn't perform as well as I thought I was capable of doing.
I totally agree with Dan. Your race results don't define you, the fact that you train and complete DOES.
Great job Darrell!
Linn
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